Bar for Equal Pay in Academia May Come Down to Job Differences

Universities in the western U.S. could be virtually immune to equal pay claims brought by tenured professors if a federal appeals court in San Francisco decides the nature of the job makes comparisons between colleagues impossible.

Jennifer Freyd, a University of Oregon psychology professor, challenged a district court ruling that threw out her lawsuit alleging she was unlawfully paid less than her male counterparts. The academic freedom allowing professors to customize their roles, and the retention raises offered by universities to prevent the poaching of top talent, make analyzing pay equity in higher education different than in other settings, the ...